Erased
by Jazzy Pseudonym
Summary: Normally, when you're fired from a job, you pack up your stuff and leave. However, SHIELD is no normal job, and Ilia is no normal person. After the battle of New York, she finds herself on the run from SHIELD's assassins, who will stop at nothing to complete their mission and eliminate her. Alone & in hiding, she may just have to rely on the god she once betrayed. Sequel to Smudged
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: **Here's the sequel to Erased. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend reading it beforehand. Especially since this picks right back up after Smudged left off. Well... not entirely. Erased starts 1 week after the events in the last chapter of Smudged (not the epilogue however). Anyway... I'm looking forward to writing this, and I hope you're looking forward to reading it! Please review and tell me what you think! ~Jazzy

**Story Summary: **Normally, when you're fired from a job, you pack up your stuff and leave. However, SHIELD is no normal job, and Ilia is no normal person. After the battle of New York, she finds herself on the run from SHIELD's assassins, who will stop at nothing to complete their mission and eliminate her. Alone & in hiding, she may just have to rely on the god she once betrayed. Sequel to Smudged

**Erased**

**By Jazzy Pseudonym**

* * *

**Prologue…**

_On Asgard…_

"Brother, I am most disappointed…" Thor sighed, pacing outside of Loki's jail cell that was holding him captive.

On the inside, Loki looked away from his adopted brother, separated not only by the metal bars between them, but by the years of lies he had discovered. The god of mischief closed his eyes gently, choosing to view the silent blackness over any image of his so-called brother.

"Loki- brother- will you not speak to me?" Thor asked earnestly. Loki could hear the sound of Thor's pacing stop, and the god of thunder's hands clasp the bars. Thor sighed once more, and opened Loki's cell, stepping inside before he could even escape.

Loki's eyes remained closed as he felt cold metal brush up against his mouth, and the magically-enhanced muzzle was placed around his face. Every day, Thor would come and undo the muzzle, hoping to hear anything at all from his adopted brother's mouth. Even if it was slander or words of anger… just hearing his brother would be a relief. But Loki remained silent. He would not speak a single word. Not to anyone. Especially not Thor.

Thor was certain if this continued, his brother's rage would only fester and grow worse. Thor sought to redeem Loki. But his brother was making this difficult. If Odin could only see some remorse in Loki... maybe his punishment would be less severe. At this moment, the outlook was looking bad, but Loki did not even seem to notice, much less care.

"I am sorry brother…" Thor said quietly, exiting the cell. The door closed with a bang. Footsteps.

Loki opened his eyes to watch Thor walk away.

* * *

_In S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters…_

Maria Hill hastily signed the papers, her scrawl far from the perfect signature she typically displayed. However, with the amount of paperwork she had to do, she didn't have time for perfection. After the battle of New York, there were myriads of papers to sign, explanations to give, orders to command. She placed the completed document on the filing tray, for an Agent to take later and file wherever it was supposed to go.

She absent-mindedly picked up the next document, and scanned over it, almost carelessly signing it. However, something caught her eye. She pulled it closer, and read it fully.

It was an order to terminate the Agent known as 'Ilia.' Already signed by Nick Fury. It awaited only her signature, as one of the foremost Agents.

"But why…?" she mused. Ilia had given them their fair-share of troubles in the past two years, but she was an effective Agent nonetheless. The document wasn't very straightforward in wording, but she got the gist of it. Ilia couldn't be trusted. She was a player on both sides and went too far in her duties. The Agent had refused orders from Fury, and put multiple missions in danger, and declined answering important questions. In short, she was too costly and needed to go.

Maria Hill faced a moral dilemma. Technically, Ilia wasn't even supposed to be alive, if Maria had read the Agent's history properly. S.H.I.E.L.D. had saved her life, and Ilia owed them her loyalty.

She couldn't spend too long debating this. She had hours more of paperwork ahead. With a guilty sigh, Maria signed the document, and sent it away, desperately trying to forget the face of the one she just authorized to kill.

* * *

_On Stark Tower…_

Captain America sat on the roof of the building, staring at New York, still in shambles. Car horns blared, sirens roared in the distance, people shouted. People were cleaning and repairing, but some scars he knew just wouldn't fade. He turned around and sat down in a nearby chair. The door opened, and he looked over to see the face of Natasha Romanoff.

"You doing alright, Captain?" She asked, pushing a few strands of red hair behind one ear. She took a seat next to him. Steve rubbed his neck a little awkwardly.

"Yeah… just… thinking," he said softly.

She raised one eyebrow. "What about?"

He paused. "New York… Just... how will it ever recover fully?"

"If I know one thing," she let a ghost of a smile appear on her face, "New York's a hardy city. It'll be fine in a few months or years. It's a city of progress. Of moving on. It'll get better eventually…"

"I suppose so…" Steve said. Natasha stared out into the city with him, both sat in silence for a few moments.

"When do you think the team will reassemble?" Steve asked, breaking the peaceful silence.

"I-I don't know," she said truthfully. "Stark's still recovering. He says he's fine, but the medical staff say otherwise. And Bruce…? I don't know where he went. Clint's back at S.H.I.E.L.D. already on his next mission. Thor's back on Asgard with Loki. I don't know if we'll ever come back together."

Steve let the words sink in for a second. "You forgot someone…" he said suddenly.

Natasha looked down at her feet. "I didn't forget. I chose to leave her out."

"She'll come back," Steve insisted.

"Why would she want to?" Natasha scowled. "She fell off the building and now she's gone. I don't think she's ever coming back."

"It… just doesn't make sense," he replied. "She was fighting on our side-and injured. Why would she run away?"

"I can think of plenty of reasons," Natasha whispered, mostly to herself. She stood herself up and walked back inside, leaving Captain America sitting alone on the roof...


	2. 1: Well, This Sucks

**Author's Note: **Whoo! Chapter one! Thanks so much for the reviews, the turnout was great! I'm really excited to start this story. You'll find out a lot more about Ilia and her past… And Loki will be making an appearance soonventually. And you've definitely not seen the last of Nick Fury. So please review! ~Jazzy

**Chapter 1: Well, This Sucks**

"Then, Agent, I want you to kill her." The cold words of Nick Fury resounded across the room. Ilia was barely able to keep her heart rate steady. However, the pulsating monitor remained steady. She wasn't sure if the feat was merely accomplished by sheer will or the amount of sedatives being inserted into her bloodstream.

"Understood, sir," The other Agent said, his voice trembling slightly. Ilia heard one set of footsteps leave the room. The steps were taken further apart, based upon the sound delays. A man of height. But also one of haste. It had to be Fury.

The remaining man took a seat on a chair, from the sound of it, and sighed deeply. "What did you do?" He muttered. "What did you do to make a man like Fury want to get rid of you this badly?" His voice was softly spoken and hesitant, but a deep voice nonetheless.

_Talking to yourself is a bad habit, _Ilia thought with an invisible smirk. In her head, a countdown started. She needed to leave this place, as soon as possible. However, if she left too early, Fury would catch her. If she waited too long, a nurse or doctor would easily see through her ruse of a coma. She couldn't keep up the scam for extended time…

"They say you were an Agent once…" The man said quietly. This was borderline creepy. Why was he talking to himself about her? Was he another one of the insane ones that S.H.I.E.L.D. had decided to hire? "But before then… what? What do they want to keep hidden so badly…? …The Project failed. They have to keep the experiment safe. But if the experiment defies her master… if she breaks loose… if she tells anyone… No. S.H.I.E.L.D. would never let the experiment escape alive…"

No.

No.

No.

How could he know?

That was impossible. She had buried those secrets. S.H.I.E.L.D. had buried those secrets. And just when she thought she had escaped from her past, it was coming back to haunt her. She had to leave.

_1…2…3…,_ Ilia counted. _Count to 200, then leave._

This was a heck of a way to get fired from your job. Normal people get a two weeks notice, then pack up their stuff and leave. Then they get a new job.

Not so much with S.H.I.E.L.D. They give you a 2 seconds notice, interrogate you, then shoot you. There's no way you're ever getting a new job after that. Of course, when she signed up for the job, she knew it was a permanent field of work. Well, she had always hoped to escaped. Loki had been her escape, for the briefest of moments. D*** her conscience. It ruined everything.

"I know you're awake…" The man said.

_He can't know that. He's bluffing… _she thought worriedly.

"You're a bad actor, you know that…" The man said, a hint of criticism in his voice. "You can give it up already. I knew from the moment I walked in."

Ilia froze. And this time, she was helpless to stop her heart rate from increasing. The machine started to beep in almost double time.

"Really? Just give it up already!" The man said, exasperated. She heard the sound of approaching footsteps, and one of the sensors on her arm was roughly yanked out.

She shot up, eyes open in a second. A flash of pain. "How did you…?" She stuttered, her vision still hazy from sleep. The blur of a man seemed to smile.

"Like I said, you're an awful actor. I saw your eyes flutter as I walked in the room with Director Fury earlier." Ilia's sight cleared up a bit to reveal a young man with black hair. He was dressed in black slacks and a grey button up. Brown eyes looked at her dubiously. And he couldn't be very much older than herself… actually- he looked to be in his late teens. "Ilia, correct?"

"Are you going to turn me in?" She asked, her voice raspy from disuse.

The man paused. "Hm…" he said overdramatically. "Not right now, no." Was this all a joke to him? Her life on the line… But then again, he could be out for blackmail. If he really did know about the Project.

"W-why?" Ilia stuttered.

"Just remember one thing for me: not everyone in S.H.I.E.L.D. is as cruel as Fury is… And let's say I owe someone a debt. It's been repaid." He shrugged. "Now we need to hurry. I can get you a few minutes of cover, but then you need to leave."

Ilia frowned, pausing for a second to consider her options. She could continue to interrogate the man about motives, and more importantly- the Project, or get the heck out of there before both of them were killed. She chose the latter.

"Let's go then," she said. The man nodded, and pulled out a small handgun, which he quickly loaded and undid the safety. Ilia cautiously stepped out of the bed, her legs screaming in pain as she took her first few steps. The dreary hospital gown she was wearing went to just above her knees, allowing her a full range of motion, but no cover from bullets. She gently unwrapped the cloth that covered her tattoos, and left it laying on the bed.

After just a few more steps, she felt as if her legs were on fire. She didn't know how she could make it out of the hospital. Whatever pain meds they had given her were long gone.

"I'll guard your back, but you've got to run- fast." The man said lowly. "Turn invisible if you're able."

Ilia nodded her head slightly. She didn't stop to ask him how he knew of her gifts. There wasn't time, and it would only provide more questions in the long run. She prepared to run out of the door, but stopped first. "Before I go," she said quietly. "Tell me your name."

The young man bit his lip. "I'm Julian Lawson," he said, barely above a whisper. She understood his nervousness of divulging his name. If she was caught… his life was on the line. Just telling her the simple fact spoke of his trust in her.

"How old are you, Julian?" Ilia looked at him carefully, trying to learn the features of his face, committing them to memory. For the briefest of seconds, she recognized him. But it was fleeting, and the next second she had no recollection.

"I'm 16," he said, even quieter than before. Ilia's eyes widened. He was no ordinary Agent, that was for sure. For S.H.I.E.L.D. to recruit someone so young… and then send him to kill her? There were shadows in play.

"Well, Julian. Thank you…" she replied. Then without another word, she tapped on darkness and fled the room.

The clock was ticking, and if she didn't leave soon, she knew they'd both be dead…

* * *

The floor was cold. The white tiles chilled her feet as she silently stepped down the hallway, her pace somewhat in between a fast-walk and a jog. She noticed a few nurses and doctors milling in the hallway. But no sign of any other Agents.

…But that made no sense. Why would Fury come only with Julian? Unless… there could be Agents hiding as the staff. Or they could be standing on the Hospital roof with snipers.

_Or maybe Julian's double crossing you. Maybe Fury wanted you to believe in Julian… maybe this is how you die… _her thoughts were macabre and grim. She shoved them away. Julian wouldn't do that. His eyes were too honest. And she was pretty sure she knew him from somewhere.

But she could imagine her bloodied and broken body on the Hospital floor, the whole incident being described by Fury. _"An unfortunate incident. We were taking care of her in the Hospital, tending her wounds, when she woke. She went mad, knocked out the sentries protecting her, and tried to escape. She injured many civilians. We had no choice but to  
disable her. Our agent's aim was off, and the shot was fatal. Very unfortunate." _She couldn't let that happen.

She whipped around the corner, then realized with a start that she was on the 3rd floor. She would either have to risk the heavily-trafficked elevator, or the stairs, which took longer to descend then the elevator. Ilia chose stairs. She was less likely to get caught.

She opened the door, making sure no one was watching, and hopped down the stairs as fast as she could, trying her best to still be quiet, but at the moment, she just needed to get out of there.

As she exited the stairwell, she screeched to a halt. Nick Fury was standing in the Hospital lobby. Her breathing deepened, and she opened the door, fingers crossed. Luckily, the Director had his back turned to her. As she gently closed it, her eyes were trained on him.

Suddenly, he turned around, his one remaining eye staring at the space she invisibly occupied. Unmoving, she stood there. Unsure of what to do. The game was up. He had caught her. Julian was a traitor and a spy, who had tricked her. And she thought she was good at deception.

To put it frankly, she was doomed.


	3. 2: Escape

**Author's Note**: Yay! I'm loving all the reviews, you guys are fab! I'm having fun writing this, and I cannot wait for the next few chapters... when the fun REALLY starts. And later, you will find out more about Julian. And The Project. So yes, keep up the reviews! ~Jazzy

P.S. Ilia says don't overdose on pain meds! (Unless you're a genetically modified human experiment)

P.P.S. I wrote a one shot the other day. I don't know why. It's a Loki thing. Once again, I don't really know why...

**Chapter 2: Escape**

She was holding her breath. She realized it only when she was gasping for air. Her eyes were locked on Nick Fury, and he was looking straight at her. But... he did nothing.

Maybe she was wrong? Maybe he didn't actually see her? But then how could he be looking straight at her? He blinked, and turned back around. Ilia nearly collapsed from relief.

She took a cautious step out of the stairwell, making sure her steps were as silent as possible. Every tiptoe closer to the exit made her more and more nervous. Each step hurt just a little bit more than the last one, as the meds faded away.

Then she heard the alarms. A gun fired off upstairs, and Nick Fury was on the move. He was running towards the stairs, and Ilia could see an opportunity. She ran towards the door, dodging the lone S.H.I.E.L.D. guard.

As she pushed open the door, she could feel the fresh air swirling around her. It was the sweetest thing she had felt in days. She couldn't linger though. The longer she stayed, the greater the chance she would be caught. And then Julian's sacrifice would be in vain.

Who had fired the gun? Who was the victim? Ilia had the sinking feeling she knew who... She closed her eyes for a second, then realized she needed to _move_.

It'd be too risky using a taxi- besides she had no money. Same for a bus ride. Trains took too long. She didn't have a subway pass. She glanced around. At least she was in New York. New York she knew. It was big and busy enough to blend in, and people didn't look at you strange.

First order of business, get clothes. Second order, get meds. She couldn't function well for long in this state of pain. And thirdly, she needed a place to stay. Somewhere safe, with someone she could trust.

_Well that rules out everyone connected to S.H.I.E.L.D., Avengers included._ She thought grimly. She needed an ally... She didn't have any connections, no friends or family... That left one person.

She needed to find Loki.

* * *

One benefit of being a genetically altered human was the free invisibility. It came in handy every once and a while. Such as when she had no money and was dressed in a hospital gown.

Ilia walked out of the store, carefully concealing the small bundle of clothes she was carrying. She stepped into a nearby public restroom and changed in a stall. Once she walked out, fully clothed, she felt safe enough to deactivate her gift and give herself a break.

She glanced at herself in the mirror, mainly to make sure she looked semi-decent and not like a total wreck. Which, unfortunately, her hair was. Black strands of hair were frizzed and frayed, sticking out every which way. She ran her fingers through her hair as a makeshift comb, sorting through the knots and tangles.

Five minutes later, she gave up. She twisted her hair around and maneuvered it into a self-knotted ponytail.

She looked down at the rest of her. At least the clothes wouldn't be too conspicuous. Ilia wore dark washed skinny jeans and a simple grey v-neck. A black jacket was hiding her tattoos and provided necessary warmth. She had also found some converse and wore those, thankful for the foot protection.

It would do for the time being. She left the hospital gown in the nearest trash can. It could be recognized and was risky, but she didn't want to expend unnecessary energy to burn it.

Next stop, get some pain meds. Any nearby drug store could have some... but she needed money, or needed to steal it. She decided to with the latter, quickly turning invisible in a nearby alley.

She walked towards the drug store, careful to follow someone in. The door bell jingled, and she was thankful she wasn't going in by herself. It would have given her up in an instant.

Ilia strode towards the back, where all the medicines were kept. The strongest thing she could get without a prescription was a low-level pain-duller. She plucked it from the shelf and hid it in her jacket pocket so it would turn invisible with her.

Her conscience nagged at her, but she pushed it out of her mind. _You've done far worse before.._. she reminded herself as she walked out.

She exited and returned to a small side alley, where she changed back into visibility. She uncapped the container and poured out five of the pills. She swallowed them with a small burst of water from her other hand. She checked the container. You were only supposed to have two.

Ilia shrugged, "What's the point of being a mutant freak if you can't live a little?" She muttered wistfully, shoving them back into her pocket.

Now, to get to a shelter... But she was torn. She could look for a place to hide or go immediately for help. Both would require an insane amount of work. And who knew if Loki was even on her side? He could have been lying when he told her how to get to Asgard...

He probably was. After all, he was the God of Lies.

She opted to get away from the city. If she were going to try to get to Asgard it couldn't be in the city. It would draw too much attention. She needed an open field. And a ride.

She glanced around her. She needed a car. Ilia didn't have very much experience stealing cars. She had only done the deed once, and she didn't like to dwell on it. She'd have to find an easy target- and a fast one.

She jogged down the next few blocks until she found a good place, filled with unattended cars. It was close to a few restaurants, but very few people were even inside. It was a pay-to-park lot, but the man guarding it was on a lunch break or something. She tapped on invisibility and walked through the lot, glancing at each car. She hoped to find an unlocked car, but that was unlikely.

Then she noticed the bike. It was a classic motorcycle, well taken care of and glossy. Ilia had previous experience with motorcycles, and they were her favorite mode of transportation. Unfortunately, S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't approve of her using a motorbike to get around, so she rarely got to ride one.

It was calling her name. She could probably figure out how to hotwire this one, if she gave it a shot. But first... she walked over to it, running one hand on the seat. Oh yes, this was the bike for her.

The seat lifted up as she ran her hands over it, revealing a hidden compartment. "Oh, don't tell me..." she whispered excitedly. She lifted the flap to reveal...

A spare set of keys. "Oh this poor guy..." She chuckled to herself. "Far too trusting for New York." She picked up the keys and sat herself on the seat of the motorcycle. It was built for someone larger than her, she could tell that easily.

In one fluid motion, she changed back into visibility and ignited the engine, letting it warm up for a few seconds.

She gave it some gas and backed it up a little, before pulling out of the parking lot. A small whisper of a smile formed on her face, and she sped unto the streets. The bike was incredible. It was responsive and fast, and even though it wasn't quite her size, it was by far the best bike she'd ever ridden.

"Hey! Wait! That's my bike!"

Ilia about froze when she heard the voice yelling down the street. She knew that voice, and it was one of the last voices she wanted to hear. She turned to look back and instantly regretted it. He saw her face. He recognized her.

"Ilia?! What are you doing?" Ilia winced. Captain America stared back at her, his face full of hurt and confusion.

Oh, she had picked the wrong bike to steal.


	4. 3: Explanations and Expectations

**Author's Note**: No, there will be no Ilia/Cap romances going on. It would never work. Trust me. It would work just as much as an Ilia/Loki pairing would. I think I'll probably just stay away from all the pairings. Goodness forbid I somehow end up with Fury/Ilia. That would be baaaad.

P.S... I'm working on ideas for a prequel still, once Erased is done, I'll start on Inked. And the other day I got an idea for a companion-type novel. So...

P.P.S. The song here is "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Explanations and Expectations**

At this point, she had two options. One, speed off on the bike, hoping that Captain America wouldn't catch up or two, stop and try to reason with him. She could probably play into his natural compassions, if she could only get him to look past his normal soldierly tendencies. If she sped off, it was an almost guarantee that he'd tell S.H.I.E.L.D. and she'd be on the run again.

No, it was best to just talk this one out.

She slowed the bike down and pulled over near the sidewalk. Steve soon caught up with her, not even out of breath.

"Ilia," He started, approaching her. "I... I thought you were gone..."

"Hey, before we start this whole deal, can we find a safer place to talk?" Ilia quickly interjected. "I shouldn't be out in the open like this..."

Steve looked dubious for a little, but relented. "Okay. I know a place, if you don't mind a quick drive there."

"It's not your house, is it?" Ilia frowned. "It'll be bugged, and I can't let anyone listen in..."

Steve shook his head. "No, it's not my house. It's just a coffee shop nearby. Low-key. We should blend in." Ilia nodded.

"Let's go then." Steve hopped on his bike, and gestured for Ilia to get behind him. He started up the bike, and drove them down a few streets. Ilia uncomfortably wrapped her arms around his waist to prevent falling off. Minutes later, that felt like an eternity, passed and they finally arrived.

It was a nice, quaint, small-business owned coffee shop. A few chairs were placed inside and outside, and a sticker on the front door proclaimed that they 'had wifi.' Steve jumped off and politely offered Ilia a hand. She took it and joined him in walking into the coffee shop.

"Do you want anything?" He offered, as he ordered a coffee americano for himself. The whole shop smelled of fresh coffee beans roasting and warm bread baking. It was intoxicating and her stomach growled, reminding her the only food she'd eaten recently was absorbed by an IV.

"I don't have any money," Ilia shrugged.

"I'll get it. You helped saved the world, I think I could buy you a two dollar coffee," He smiled a little.

"Then I'd love a plain black coffee," she said. She pulled up a chair to a table in the farthest corner of the shop, and Steve walked over, handing her a coffee.

She took a sip, ignoring the fact that it was burning hot. "Sorry about your bike," Ilia apologized. "If I had known it was yours, I would have chosen a different one..."

"No, I'm glad you picked mine. I've been meaning to talk to you anyway," Steve took a drink of his own coffee, then opened the top to leave it steam and cool off. "I missed you at the end of the battle. What happened to you? You just disappeared."

"Hah, typical S.H.I.E.L.D..." she muttered under her breath. "I fell." She spoke a little louder, but not loud enough for the rest of the cafe to hear her. "Off of Stark Tower. I don't really know what happened. I don't know who saved me or who found me... but when I woke up I was at a hospital and Nick Fury was giving an Agent orders to terminate me when I woke."

Steve's face was one of shock.

"Luckily the Agent was sympathetic," she left out the part about The Project, "And he helped me escape. And now I'm on the run."

"I... I don't know what to say," Steve Rogers stuttered. "No one knew what happened to you after the battle. It was like you had been completely erased from the world, and S.H.I.E.L.D. said nothing about you. Stark couldn't even find you in their databases. Natasha thought you ran off."

Ilia stared down at her coffee cup, eerily reminded of only a few days-no more like a few weeks- ago when they had been in a similar conversation. Obscured by darkness, both drinking coffee and revealing secrets in the break room. But now she was a wanted fugitive, and he was still the rule-following soldier.

Silence dragged on as both sampled their drinks. "Are you going to turn me in?" Ilia asked, her voice carrying a noticeable tremor. She tried to disguise it, but it slipped out. Steve looked distressed at her signs of worry.

He paused for too long of a moment. Ilia couldn't read his expression. "... No..." He replied. "Not right now. I owe it to a fellow soldier to help you out, at least for now. I can't make any promises about later, I'm not about to lie to S.H.I.E.L.D., but I'll do the best I can to help you now."

Ilia breathed a sigh of relief. "That's all I'm asking." She felt a sudden rush of gratitude. She wasn't sure if it was genuine, or just the result of 5 strength numbing agents finally kicking in.

"So what do you need me to do?"

"I need a ride to somewhere rural, where no one can watch me. And I'd love a weapon." Steve's eyes widened at the last request. "Don't worry, I'm not planning on shooting any of your S.H.I.E.L.D. buddies," _At least, not yet._ "I just need it for protection for where I'm going."

"Might I ask where you're going?" Steve inquired.

"Sorry, but if there's a chance you might reveal it to S.H.I.E.L.D., it'd be best if you didn't know," Ilia admitted. Steve seemed to accept this, and drank his coffee in silence.

"Do you mind... if I tell the rest of the team you're alive?"

She sighed, glancing at the super soldier. "Please... just wait a few days, for me. Then tell them if you wish. Just... give me some time to get away."

"I understand..." Steve replied.

* * *

Ilia drove down the highway, keys jingling as they beat together in a steady rhythm. The radio quietly played its own music, but she wasn't really listening. She concentrated on the road in front of her. The further she went, the less people that occupied the highway. She was getting closer, but not close enough.

She glanced down at the small compartment next to the passenger seat, where her gun was located. Steve had stayed true to his promise and not only given her a little two-seater car to drive, but a small handgun with six bullets.

She had been driving for a while, not quite a day, but close. She was growing tired, but she couldn't afford to waste time to stop and sleep. She had a hundred dollar bill crumpled in her back pocket, an unrequested gift from the Captain.

There were good people in the world, Ilia decided. They were hard to find, but they were there. Unfortunately, she wasn't one of them. That was a decision she had made long ago.

_"I say, don't you know? You say, you don't know. I say... take me out. I say, you don't show. Don't move, time is slow. I say... take me out._" The radio chimed. Ilia straightened herself up, starting to slouch down from exhaustion. _"If I move, I could die. If eyes move, I could die_." The song was too bright and catchy. Even though the lyrics were rather ominous, the song played up with a fast beat and guitar strums.

She didn't understand it. If you were going to sing about death, it's not a casual thing. You don't just sing about it, like you would about any other topic. It was a serious thing. It annoyed her to listen.

_"I know I won't be leaving here. I know I won't be leaving here. I know I won't be leaving here... with you._" She punched the radio off irritably.

Silence.


	5. 4: Puento Antiguo

**Author's Note: **I'm really sorry for the wait guys. Life's been crappy and I've been sick and I haven't been writing like I should have. I hope you enjoy the chapter. It was originally supposed to be a lot different, but I added this in. Maybe it's a bit fillerish, but I think it's sweet. Please review! -Jazzy Pseudonym

**Chapter 4: Puente Antiguo**

Ilia was dozing off when she finally reached her destination. It had been a long day and a half on the road. But she had sped her way there, and had not slept a wink, driving the entire time. Her body was crying out to rest, and she felt herself starting to give in.

"New Mexico..." she muttered to herself. "Puente Antiguo?" The sign read cheerily. However the sign was covered in ash and dust. The town itself was small and inconsequential. What really mattered was the desert outside it.

She parked the car outside a diner, and folded the hundred dollar bill into one pocket. She could probably find a motel to spend the rest of the day in before heading out. Ilia pushed open the doors to the restaurant, and the room seemed to quiet.

She awkwardly took a seat at the small bar where you could order. It was the middle of the afternoon, but she was craving a stack of pancakes. She glanced at the menu, mentally calculating how much she could spend and still have enough left over to buy a room.

"How can I help ya, sweetie?" The blonde waitress said, her southern accent masked only by the chewing gum in her mouth. The sickly sweet stench of bubblegum surrounded her.

"Er, I'd like a glass of orange juice and some pancakes," Ilia said, handing her menu to the waitress.

"I'm sorry, doll, but we don't do breakfast past 11."

"Oh..." Ilia bit her lip, recalling the rest of the menu.

"But you know what, I'm sure I can get the kitchen to make an exception for'yah. You're new here, aren't cha?" The waitress asked nicely.

"Thanks. And yeah, I'm just staying for a day... Would you happen to know where I can rent a room to spend the night?" Ilia asked.

"Oh yep, there's an inn just down the street. I'm sure they'll fix ya up nicely. Just tell 'em Kitty sent ya." The waitress beamed, walking into the kitchen area.

While she waited for her drink, Ilia looked around the town. There wasn't much to this town. Why it was the portal to Asgard escaped her. She could see orange traffic cones and yellow tape covering some demolished buildings, indicating some sort of battle had occurred. Although it had to have occurred a while ago, as no one seemed fazed by it.

"Here's yer drink, sweetheart," Kitty said, placing a thick mug of cold orange juice in front of her. "Yer food will be out in a few secs."

"Thank you," Ilia mumbled. Now that she was here, her priority had to be laying low and not drawing much attention to herself. S.H.I.E.L.D. probably knew about the city, and could possibly connect her to it. If anyone came to ask the city's residents questions, Ilia had the feeling they'd spill it all.

Ilia ate the pancakes quietly. They were quite delicious. The best food she'd eaten in who knows how long. Kitty brought over the receipt for the food.

"Can you break a hundred?" Ilia asked nervously. Now she wished Cap had broken down the bill before giving it to her.

"Oh yes, sure thing, sweetie," Kitty said, returning with her change in tens and twenties. She had spent ten dollars on food, but she should be fine for buying a room.

"Thank you," Ilia said, standing up.

"No problem, have a nice day, y'hear?" Kitty waved.

* * *

Ilia drove the car down to the inn, parking in the small lot behind the building. There was only maybe ten spots total. It was clearly a small and family owned establishment.

She cautiously took her gun and placed it in the back of her jeans, masking it with her jacket. She couldn't be too careful. The gun and the ninety bucks were her only possessions, minus the clothes she wore and the car she borrowed.

It was easy enough to rent a room. Apparently there were only five. It was more of a bed and breakfast than an actual motel, but Ilia wasn't complaining. And when she mentioned the blonde waitress, she received a twenty percent discount. The room wasn't crazy expensive, as the caretaker was a sympathetic older woman, who apparently had a granddaughter "just like" Ilia. Which obviously was not true, considering what Ilia really was.

She walked up to her room, unlocked the door, and immediately collapsed on the bed, falling into a dreamless sleep...

* * *

She woke up at 3 am. The dim red lights of the clock flashed quietly. She pulled herself out of bed, and washed her face with some water from the bathroom sink. She didn't want to use her gifts if she didn't have to. Better to conserve her energy for the trip ahead.

According to Loki's directions, the spot was fairly close to town, just on the south side. It wasn't hard to miss, it was a rune etched into the ground. The hard part was it was probably monitored by S.H.I.E.L.D. or someone equally as nasty. Hopefully arriving at 3 am would throw whoever was guarding it off.

Ilia flipped her hoodie over her head, and started up the car. She made sure she had all her weapons and money. As she drove through the town, all the lights were off. Except for the lights in one building, which Ilia assumed was a bar.

It took less than five minutes to arrive at the edge of town. She stepped out of the car and tucked the keys into her pocket. She didn't want to leave the car out in the open where the portal was, where the car could be traced. And then S.H.I.E.L.D. would know that Steve had helped her. If he hadn't already told them...

No, she trusted Steve to keep his word. He was the most trustworthy person she knew.

The car was left in front of a small, closed clothing store. It was one of the partially ruined buildings, and she was sure her car wouldn't be noticed as abandoned for a few days at least. And hopefully by then she'd be back from Asgard.

It was surprisingly easy to find the portal site.

Large, fluorescent lights surrounded the area, and a large fence had been constructed to surround the area. From the looks of it, no guards were patrolling the area. She could spot one or two cameras. To be safe, she quickly turned invisible.

With a running head start, she jumped over the fence. Unfortunately, part of her leg scraped against the barbed wire on the top, and a stinging pain shot down her leg. The fence shook violently. Whoever was watching the cameras had probably seen that.

She would have to hurry.

Luckily, whoever was running the place hadn't put up many barricades around the actual portal site. Either they didn't care, or it had been long enough to ignore most security precautions.

She stepped into the the portal area, where strange markings and patterns were etched unto the ground. Then she heard the siren sound. Someone had probably reviewed the security tapes, and got suspicious. Now if only she could remember the words that Loki had told her to say...

She needed to be visible to say it. Otherwise the gatekeeper might not see her... or might not trust her. She switched back into visibility, and immediately saw the guards rushing out towards her.

"Heimdell!" She yelled. "Open the gates, on behalf of Loki Odinson!"

"That's the wanted agent!" One of the guards shouted suddenly. and Ilia heard the sound of guns being loaded. Whoever was guarding the portal better hurry. Otherwise...

Unless the guard didn't hear her.

Unless Loki was lying, and this was all another one of his tricks.

Unless this was just one last surprise from the God of Lies.


End file.
